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Resource Center makes VBS materials accessible

July 23, 2014 / By Beth DiCocco / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Vacation Bible School – most often simply VBS – is popular with churches (not to mention the kids). 

A 2012 study by the Barna Group showed that more than two out of three churches in America –  68 percent – offered VBS that summer. And that level of involvement has stayed pretty stable, according to the study.

But VBS organizers know that the materials needed can be expensive. That's where the Conference Media Resource Center can help.

The Resource Center has VBS kits, puppets, decorations and more – all available for loan to any church in the Conference. Director Diane Miner said the center has some 50 kits with more than 20 themes among its materials.

The center is one of the many resources supported by Ministry Share dollars. Having support from across the Conference allows many churches access to resources they could not afford on their own.

This year, Syracuse Westside Urban Mission (S.W.U.M.), operated by Brown Memorial UMC in Syracuse, is using Operation Overboard: Dare to go deep with God, said Olga E. Gonzalez, Missionary/Church and Community Worker.

"It is a blessing to have this opportunity, because they have great resources that we can borrow," she said of the center. "We also borrow Sunday School material for youth, elementary and middle school students... We are in a very poor community, and we don't have the resources to buy the VBS or the Sunday School resources."

Miners said that as of this writing, there were 35 churches barrowing VBS resources, and more were available.Saratoga Springs UMC borrowed materials from the Media Resource Center for its 2014 VBS. Photo courtesy of Katie Igler.

Cokesbury offers a new VBS theme each year. Miner said she has three 2014 kits, but a great option for churches, she said, is to consider using the previous year's or older theme, as SWUM is doing, as a way to have access to more materials.

At Saratoga Springs UMC, circumstances caused VBS to be canceled in 2013. They had most of the materials to go with the VBS theme the church had purchased, but not everything they needed, said Katie Igler, Christian Education Director.

Miner helped Saratoga Springs fill in the gaps, and got the items to the church quickly.

"Diane had all those materials  – some DVDs, a couple of leader books – and some of the things we couldn't afford to buy," Igler said, including the puppet.

"The puppets are about $40, but they add a wonderful part to the program," she said. Saratoga's VBS had started that day, and Igler said the kids "love that puppet."

And the puppet came with easy instructions for sending it back – a big help to a busy self-proclaimed procrastinator like Igler.

Miner said she's happy to help churches find what they need – whether they call in January or July.

"Some people plan far in advance, some might call next week," she said when we spoke in early July. "And that's the truth."

The Rev. Amy Gregory, pastor at Greene UMC, said that she found Miner's expertise to be a tremendous help in selecting materials that work for them.

"Diane has been a huge help for our Sunday school, too," Rev. Gregory said. "It's nice to be able to see lots of options in front of you; she's great at helping you weed through the many choices."

And Miner has insight, Rev. Gregory said, into which materials will work with which groups.

Greene UMC works with three other local churches on VBS; being able to examine the materials in person with all the organizers is another advantage, Rev. Gregory said.

"We need our Resource Center desperately," Rev. Gregory said, as churches are always in need of ways to offer programs while saving money.

Ash Fletcher, who was organizing VBS at Boonville UMC, agrees. She found out about the Resource Center through the former pastor's wife, Katie Dean.

"I was surprised our church was not utilizing that resource before," Fletcher said.  "We're working with a zero budget; without that, there wouldn't be a program."  

Miner has other suggestions to help churches reduce expenses – one is using a free resource such as Upper New York's Africa University VBS titled Under the Acacia Tree.

And, Miner said, VBS does not have to be an entire week.

"Instead of doing a week-long program, do an all-day, one-day VBS," she suggested.

Pick one of the themes from a VBS kit, and have a five- to six-hour program with a meal. This is also a great option for churches that don't have enough volunteers for the entire week.

Churches that have purchased VBS materials can help the Resource Center by donating materials they are no longer using so that other churches can borrow them.

During the summer, the Resource Center is open 7:30 to 4:30 Monday to Thursday. Visit the center's web page to learn more or order resources.